RATIONAL LIFE 313 



to tell how large a victory had been achieved. Those 

 who have prevailed over the dangers of an evil 

 inheritance, are victorious in life, having done not a 

 little to deliver others from an evil taint, and from 

 sore struggle. The black-sheep theory is inapplicable. 

 It is at fault on both sides. It maligns the sheep, 

 and it does not explain the man. Even when attention 

 is turned on the lowest levels of human degeneration, 

 the power of a rational life is undestroyed. The 

 physical life may be hopelessly enfeebled; profligacy 

 may disclose Nature s penalty in the paralysis of 

 manly vigour ; but the best in man is not utterly laid 

 waste; the penitent s hope is not debarred. Most 

 bitter of thoughts in the recoil from degradation, is 

 the thought that the consequences are not concentrated 

 in one s own experience, and are not closed Avith it. 

 Even one s children may carry the taint, facing sore 

 life-conflict as the result of conduct in which they 

 had no part. They suffer because their parents did 

 not act a better part. But thought, and fight, and 

 freedom, are still possible to these belated ones. 

 The greatness of our Christianity appears in this, 

 that it meets those who are worst stricken, bringing 

 them hope and help from God, merciful and 

 gracious, of whom we ever say Shall not the Judge 

 of all the earth do right ? 



The reading of heredity, as thus interpreted in re 

 lation to human life, must have its bearing on human 

 destiny. Even a wasted life may be a sacred life ; the 

 body wrecked, the man delivered. This, however, 

 reckons at best only as some mitigation of the burden 

 we bear, when the darkest side of human life is con 

 sidered. We are deeply concerned in the outcome of 



